Risky Behavior and Tennessee Teens: Driving

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) - Car crashes are the single biggest killer of Tennessee teens and a new report from the Centers for Disease Control says texting isn’t helping.

In its annual Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the CDC reports that 41.4 percent of American teens report texting while driving. Tennessee teens were only slightly less likely to text and drive at 41.1 percent.

The CDC’s Stephanie Zaza urges parents to step in to stop any behavior that takes a teen's attention away from the road.

"Parents play an active role in keeping their teen drivers safe by close monitoring, frequent discussions, parent-teen driving agreements and acting as a role model of good driving habits."

Other findings from the 2013 edition of the CDC survey indicate Tennessee teens are much less likely to drink and drive than the average American teen. They’re also less likely to ride with a driver who has been drinking.

On the down side, Tennessee teens are less likely than the average teen to use a seat belt.